Sheet feeding board for printing press



Jan. 28, 1958 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 FIG-2 M. A. LANDERS SHEET FEEDING BOARD FOR PRINTING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MATTHEW A. LAN DERS AT TORNEY Jan. 28, 1958 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 M. A. LANDERS SHEET FEEDING BOARD FOR PRINTING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MATTHEW A. LANDERS? A RNEY United States Patent "ice SHEET FEEDING BOARD FOR PRINTING PRESS Matthew A. Landers, Aflanta, Ga.

Application December 20, 1954, Serial No. 476,139

1 Claim. (Cl. 271-8) This invention relates to a sheet feeding board for a printing press and more particularly to an improvement in a sheet feeding board providing a better motion and faster and more positive operation thereof.

The present invention has particular application in conjunction with the loading and feeding of sheet paper and the like into a printing press for printing thereon. A conventional type press for printing has at the rear thereof some sort of holding arrangement on which stacks or rolls of paper are positioned and another device which transfers the paper in correct spacing, alignment, and so forth into the press itself to start the actual printing operation. A feeding board holds the paper just prior to its entering the printing rolls and the present invention provides a feeding board of this general sort but with certain improvement in the operation thereof.

Generally described, the present invention contem- 7 therefrom, and means for quickly and positively moving said board from the normal position on the press to another such different position thereby providing an adjustment in the board location which permits changes in the press, and means including a readily operable mechanical advantage for quick and smooth movement of said board, said last means being controllable from a remote point.

An object of this invention is to provide a feedboard arrangement quickly movable from feeding position to other positions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feedboard device which is readily adjusted on the press frame.

An additional object of this invention is found in the particular manner in which the feedboard is mounted on the press frame and in the power means with controls for moving the board.

One further advantage resides in the choice of power device and in the novel way of mounting and actuating said power device and the driven members.

A more detailed description follows hereinafter and during the reading of this specification other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent with further clarity gained from the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a diagrammatic swingable rear press portion with the novel feedboard mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the right side of the press in Fig. 1 showing the invention thereon.

Fig. 3 is a view identical with Fig. 2 but with the feedboard in another position from normal shown by dotted lines and with parts of the press broken away.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the air cylinder mounting.

' Patented Jan. 28, 1958 Fig. 5 is a section view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the air cylinder.

The present invention is shown in Fig. 1 in conjunction with a printing press 10 with main frame 12 on which is swiveled at joint 14 the press delivery end 16 having vertical, spaced frame members 18 and transverse frame and brace members 20 with a horizontal ledge 22 intersecting and joining with some of the members 20 at the collar journal 24 of the joint 14. Press frame 12 rests by legs 26 on a stable ground surface 28 and has on its frame 12 various rollers, forms, gears, etc. (not shown) which make up an operable printing mechanism, the details of the printing art not forming a part of this inven tion per se. In like manner, the delivery end 16 outward of the exposed end thereof could have some sort of automatic stack loading or roll delivery apparatus in conjunction with ledge 30, the details not forming a part of this invention but being found in U. S. Patents Numbers 1,763,598 and 1,966,900 and readily used with the present invention. Mounted across frame members 18 of the delivery end is a rotatable shaft 32 forming part of the drive mechanism for the stack loading and feed apparatus (not shown) and just immediately below shaft 32 is another larger shaft 34 likewise journaled on members 18 and having welded at 35, other means for fastening being applicable if preferred, a pair of opposed tapered brackets 36 each secured at the outward end 38 thereof to a respective side of the feedboard 40 which consists of a substantially flat, rectangular plate 42 extending outwardly in cantilever fashion from the shaft 34. The normal position and disposition of board 40 is somewhat in the manner of Figs. 1 and 2 illustrations, that is, slightly inclined at the rear end from the front end so that the front end is slightly below horizontal, all depending upon the size and type of press. In this position, the delivery rear end 16 would be in alignment with the front press end 12, feeding sheets thereinto rather than in the swiveled position in Fig. 1 which is usually done only for cleaning, adjusting, loading, and so forth. With the board 40 in its normal nearly horizontal position across the press, the sheets are fed into the press with the inten'or of the press beneath the board 40 blocked almost entirely thereby. From time to time it is necessary to adjust the board 40 for various reasons and also to move the feedboard 40 completely out of the way, as when reaching form and performing makeready as well as when making fast repairs.

F eedboard movement Feedboard 40 is pivoted on frame members 18 by shaft 34 which continues at one side on past frame member 18 to receive thereon a crank member 44 fixed by key 46 for movement with shaft 34 and having a crank attaching portion 46 at the bottom end thereof. Fixed in end 46 is a crank pin 48. Mounted on side member 18 by plate 59 held with bolts 51 is a fast acting, powerful air piston power drive cylinder 52 having cylinder 54 with front flange 56 and rear flange 58 joined and braced by rods 61) held in place by nuts 62. Cylinder 52 has the head 64 of piston rod confined for sliding movement therein in response to the application of air pressure at the entrance end of cylinder 52 and rod 66 extends through suitable packing 68 beyond the face of cylinder 52 to become a journal portion 70 pivotally connected with crank pin 48. Air cylinder 52 receives air under pressure at the entrance valve thereof by safety coupling connector 72 having incoming air line 74 leading from an air control valve 76 with control lever 78 which receives and controls air under pressure through line 74 from and through a conventional air regulator device 80 with setting knob 82 and dial 84. Air is maintained under pressure through line 74 from any suitable air compressor source (not shown). The control of air is effected by the valve arrangement 76 which may be the conventional three-way device which has three positions of controlone to admit air under pressure into cylinder 54 against piston head 64, the second to stop the fiow of air but hold air in the cylinder with piston 66 held in its status at the time of operation, and the third to suddenly bleed the air from the line 74 permitting gravity to act to cause the feedboard 40 to return to normal position. A control lever 78 provides a means of selecting the desired valve operation. Likewise, regulator device 80 is of conventional construction and maintains the air pressure at desired level. Safety coupling connector 72 provides an additional safety factor and an emergency air release.

The feedboard 40 will move and swing upon rotation of 34. Therefore, with crank 44 keyed to shaft 34 and piston rod 66 engageable against crank pin 48, outward movement of the rod 66 in response to air pressure admitted into cylinder 54 will rotate shaft 34 to swing the feedboard, as in the manner shown in Fig. 3 from the dotted line position to full line position. The novel arrangement of air cylinder 52, crank arm 44, and shaft 34 provides an immediate, fast acting and positive movement of the feedboard which is positionable in various stages of inclination depending upon the control valve 76. Since during the movement of rod 66 air cylinder 52 must move somewhat, the cylinder 52 is movably attached on plate 50 by rods 60 which are fastened inside U-bolt 86 and nuts 87 operating in a pair of slots 88 in plate 50 which is recessed on the backside thereof to receive the nuts 87. This is exaggerated in Figs. 4 and 5 for illustration since only slight movement occurs and only slight tolerance is needed. The rear of cylinder 52 is fastened by and pivots on a fixed pin 90.

When it is desired to move the feedboard 40, one merely operates the control 78 stopping the board at any desired position between normal and full raised. This permits a press operator to swing the feedboard 40 at will and in a minimum of time without complex motion or tiring hand work. The particular relationship between the crank arm 44, center of shaft 34, center of crank pin 48, length of arm 44, and position of piston rod 66 accomplishes with a minimum of material and a maximum of operation without effort. Movement from full down to full up and vice versa is very fast.

Although I have shown and described in particular detail a preferred form of my invention this is by way of example only and not to be construed as any sort of limitation on the scope thereof, such being found only in the claims, as many variations, substitutions, alterations, modifications, and eliminations (such as elimination of safety devices or changing the air cylinder to a fluid cylinder or motor drive) may be made within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A sheet feeding device for a printing press comprising a frame with a sheet loading and delivering mechanism mounted on an end of said frame for movement with respect thereto, a substantially flat feedboard pivotally mounted at one edge to the adjacent side of said sheet loading and delivering mechanism for vertical movement, a power cylinder mounted on one end of said loading and delivering mechanism remote from said feedboard, a power transfer arm connected at one end to the pivot for said feedboard, a piston operable in said power cylinder, 2. piston rod connected to said piston at one end and to the power transfer arm at its other end, whereby said feedboard may be swung to a position adjacent said printing press or elevated above the same, and a control device connected with said power cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,202,315 Reifsnyder Oct. 24, 1916 1,763,598 Christophel June 10, 1930 1,767,442 Evans June 24, 1930 2,273,899 Sinkovitz Feb. 24, 1942 2,418,213 Winterkamp Apr. 1, 1947 2,472,225 Muddiman June 7, 1949 2,594,346 Preis et al Apr. 29, 1952 

